Quick Pickles

 

Pickled Vegetables 

Who knew pickling veggies was this easy? I think the key is in the brine and the mix of spices. I've bought so many pickles at farmers market and they are either too soft or too aromatic, like a perfume. I don't want perfume in my food! We're a family of pickles with a side of tacos, so when I say I'm glad I figured it out, I'M THRILLED! I call this Mexican pickles because it has Mexican Oregano and reminds me of pickles I'd get at my favorite taco place. Don't sleep on Mexican Oregano....SO GOOD.  Radishes are in season now, pretty, and make for a good pickle. Only issue is don't take it to work for lunch, since there's it has an inherent lingering questionable odor.

Brine:

1 cup water

1 cup white vinegar

1 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp sugar

Spices:

Peppercorns (pink, black, white)

Mexican Oregano (super strong, use as needed)

Jalapeño or Serrano pepper 

Heat up the brine until all is dissolved. In bottle, add veggies and spices. If veggies are hearty, like root veggies or huge chunks of cabbage, you can pour the warm/hot brine directly into the bottle. If something delicate like onion, wait until bring is at room temp, or don't even heat it up. You can reuse the brine to pickle onions at least 2-3 more times. 

They last 2 weeks, at least? probably longer, but they don't last in my fridge that long. 

Sichuan Sweet and Sour Cabbage

 

I love a good head of cabbage. Who doesn't? Ah yes, those who get giant heads of cabbage week after week in their CSA box. Been there, done that. I wish I knew this recipe back then. This is a variation of a dish that I "discovered" in a local Chinese restaurant specializing in Chengdu/Sichuan Cuisine. 

2020: the year where I learned to cook several new cuisines including Chinese. This dish is a work in progress, but here's the last version that got as close as it was going to get. I never measure things, so all of the measurements are guesstimates. Let your eyes, tongue, and nose guide you.

Use a wok if you have one. I don't, but I use a cast iron skillet (10" or 13") for all my stir-frying.

Serves 2-4 (Depends if this is a side dish or main and also on the head of cabbage you have)

Ingredients

Cabbage - 1-2" large pieces, whatever you fancy. About 4-6 cups. Try and separate out each layer. Leave the rib in, the crunch is lovely. 

Garlic - 6 cloves, slices

Red Sichuan peppercorns -1 tbsp (or more)

Dry Red Sichuan Chilli pepper - 1-2 

Neutral oil (I use avocado) - 1 tbspn

Green onions for garnish

Sauce

Soy sauce  - 1/4 cup

Vinegar, distilled or black - 1-3 tbsp (adjust according to taste)

Sugar - 1-4 tsp (adjust according to taste)

Corn starch - 1-2 tsp

Mix the sauce components except corn starch. Once it is to your liking, add the corn starch powder and mix until it's dissolved.

 Method

1. Heat up the pan  on medium high and add oil. Once it's heated, add the sichuan pepper corns. Saute for about 1 minute and remove from the oil. You want the oil flavored but if the peppercorns burn, it turns the whole dish bitter. 

2. In the spiced oil, add garlic and dried red chilli pepper. Saute for 30 seconds and then add the cabbage. 

3. Cook for a 3 mins or so. You want it slightly under done because you still have to cook it for a couple more minutes with the sauce added. Stir the sauce and add to the pan with the cabbage. Keep stirring as the corn starch starts to thicken up the sauce and coat the cabbage. If you need to thin in out, you can add some water at this point. 

4. Once cooked, add scallions at the top and serve with hot jasmine rice.

Cabbage with turmeric

Holy cabbage, batman!!! It's 2012. This blog has been revived again! whoohoo!!

I decided to try out the local CSA box and just my luck, they give me a giant head of lettuce. It's HUGE! There's no way I would ever buy this much cabbage. It's enough to feed a small country.

Coincidentally I had a potluck to get to the following day and decided to make this classic indian style cabbage. It is generally paired with rice and something like this or this to make a complete classic Konkani/Indian meal. Pair with some yoghurt and you are set. Another selling point? Brassica/Cruciferous veggie paired with turmeric = anti-cancer all the waaaaaay!!

Serves 2

Ingredients

Cabbage - chopped or sliced - 2 liberal hand-full [2 cups, maybe?]
Onion- yellow (or other)- chopped fine - 2 tbspn
Black mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Asafoetida - 1 pinch [1/4 tspn]
Green Chillies [serrano or thai]- 1/2 [remove seeds depending on spice tolerance]
Canola or other vegetable oil - 1/2 tbspn
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Split chick pea / bengal gram [ can find in indian store] (optional) - about 15
Salt to taste
water -1-2 Tbspn

Method

1. Heat up oil in a wok [medium-high]. Add the bengal gram. Saute until it seems a little bit swollen and brown. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida. This will pop all over the place. use a lid to contain them.
2. Once the popping subsides, add in the onion. Saute until translucent.
3. Add chillies and cabbage. On top of cabbage add the turmeric and salt. Toss in the wok.
4. Sprinkle the water on this and then lower the heat to medium low and cover. Let cook for about 5 or so minutes. Uncover and let the water cook out.
5. Cook until completely cooked. I like it to have a little bit of a bite to it but also completely cooked. So keep an eye on it.

Enjoy.

A Most Rightious Rotini n' Cheese

This is the best Mac (well, Rotini) n’ Cheese recipe I’ve ever had in my life, and I have made numerous variations of Mac n’ Cheese in the past, and tasted recipes everywhere I can find them – this tops them ALL.

Seriously, I should be inducted into the Mac n’ Cheese Hall of Fame for this one. And if there isn’t a Hall of Fame for Mac, they should start one just for me.  -- AnglophileLV
Recipe:

1 1/2 C dry rotini – boil according to package directions
1 batch Bechemel sauce
Directions: 2 Tb butter melted, stir with 2 Tb flour until golden, add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir continuously until mix has thickened.

1 C. extra sharp cheddar, shredded
1 C. Mozerella
A pinch cayenne pepper
2 dashes Worcestershire
Pepper to taste.
½ onion, chopped fairly fine
2 slices bacon

1/2 Tsp Vadouvan (recipe to follow)*
Directions:

1. Cook the bacon and chopped onions in a pan together (there’s nothing better in the world than bacon and onions in my opinion). Chop up the bacon when it’s crispy, and set the bacon and onions aside.

2. Add to the béchamel sauce the 1 Cup of cheddar and 1 Cup mozzarella, stir until melted and thick. Then add a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 dashes Worcestershire (or to taste, I like a little more for intense flavor). Add pepper to taste also, but not salt yet because the Vadouvan is quite salty.

3. Add the bacon and onion, stir in. Then add the rotini.

4. Add the Vadouvan carefully – it’s quite strong, so you really have to do it to taste. For me, ½ tsp was about right, otherwise your Mac n’ Cheese may start tasting like Mac n’ Curry (also good, just not what we’re going for).

5. For a topping, I took a handful of unseasoned bread crumbs and ground it together with a little more vadouvan with my mortar and pestle. Then I put it under the broiler (watching it very carefully!) until it was browned.

*Make the Vadouvan well in advance, since it takes over an hour. It lasts a couple months in the fridge, a couple years if frozen, and you can add it to soups and all kinds of things. You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you’re probably the only kid on the street that has this unique spice mix (a blend of French and Indian culinary influences). I got the recipe from the now defunct Gourmet and altered it slightly:

Vadouvan

• ½ sweet onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 9 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• EQUIPMENT:

an electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, food processor (or you can just chop it)

• Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle.

• Pulse onions and garlic in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (there may be a few large pieces remaining), transferring to a bowl.

• Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions and garlic (stir often) until golden and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

• Grind fenugreek seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle. Add to onion mixture along with remaining ingredients, 1 Tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and stir until combined.

• Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined large 4-sided sheet pan and spread as thinly and evenly as possible. Bake, stirring occasionally with a skewer to separate onions, until well browned and barely moist, check every 20-30 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini

My lovely friend Justina gave me a Zucchini the length and width of my forearm (and I have a rather large forearm). I usually just roast any and all veggies since it's quick and involves just the roasting pan and an oven. After 2 months of this though, no matter how much you love vegetables (like me), it can get boring. It's summer and school is out, so I decided to do something different with this Godzilla of a zucchini. And it's so good to be back blogging and trying out some new things. hurray for summer!!!


Ingredients
Serves 2-4
1 Large Zucchini - Cut lengthwise; scrape out the soft-seeds portion so you have a hollow area in the center
1/2 Yellow onion finely chopped
1 Roma Tomato finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Cremini Mushrooms (or button would work as well)
.5lb Minced Meat, I used chicken.
Pinch of Paprika, Cayenne, Turmeric, Coriander powder, Cumin Powder
Salt to taste
1 Tbspn of tomato paste
1.5 slices of untoasted bread- make crumbs as best possible.
Olive oil and some butter

Method
1. In a pan heat up some olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 3 mins.
2. Next add tomato and spice powders and salt and saute for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, chicken, and tomato paste and saute for about 3 mins.
4. Meanwhile line up the Zucchini (I had to cut mine into half so I had 4 "shells") shells in a baking pan. coat with olive oil. Also melt the butter and pour over the bread crumbs. Use oil if you dont want to use butter or do half and half so you don't lose the buttery flavor.
5. Spoon the filling into the zucchini shells and top it off with bread crumbs.
6. Cook in a preheated oven at 350F for 35-45 mins.


Taste Review:
I totally would make this again. But I would skip the bread topping mostly since I used whole wheat bread...if you have white bread, do try it out because it gives you a nice crunchy top. The wheat bread gave it a "sweet" taste which can be a hit or a miss. I also would top it off with some parmesean cheese next time. But the filling is to die for. I would add some Tabasco sauce next time.

Pongal

Another quintessential breakfast item of Tamil Nadu. Go to any restaurant for breakfast, and you find this. I am ecstatic that I was able to make this. Delicioso.


Ingredients

Mung/Moong dal - 1 cup
Rice (You can do this with basmasti. I used a variety called "sona masuri') - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - 8
Asafoetida (optional)- a pinch
Dried Red Chilli - 1-2
Fresh Green Chilli (Thai) -1-2 slit lengthwise
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Ginger : Sliced about 2-3 thin slices
Water - 2.5-3 cups (to cook the rice and moong dal)
Oil - 1tbspn
Butter - 1/2 tbspn (optional)

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal and rice with water. then drain all of the water and let it dry as much as possible (15-20 min air dry).
2. In a saucepan, put the oil. Let it heat up. To this add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried red chilli, and pepper corns. Let this pop and crackle and then add the curry leaves, ginger, green chilli, and cashews.
3. After about 1 min, add the dried rice and moong dal. Fry it for about 3-4 minutes (you basically want the raw taste to be roasted out).
4. Add water to cover this and to cook it. Add a dash of butter and salt and let it cook (I use my nifty rice cooker at this step).
5. Eat hot with butter melting at the top. Can pair plantains boiled in salt water alongside this or just regular ripe bananas.

Asian Crunchy Salad

Dressing:
Hot and Sweet chilli garlic sauce (1 tbspn )
Sriracha sauce (just a smidgen)
Vinegar (3 tspns or more)
Sugar (2-4 tspns or more!)

* those are vague measurements, so adjust according to taste. the key are white vinegar and sugar.

Salad:
Carrots (grated or julienne)
Lettuce (I used red romaine from my CSA box)
Sugar Snap peas (I substituted snow peas)
Red Cabbage if you have some (i didn't)
Spring onions
tomatoes
Red Onion
Crunchy Noodles (you can get these now at Panda Express)
Grilled Chicken (optional), could also substitute fried/grilled tofu.

Method
In a salad bowl prepare salad dressing according to taste (this will be bright red in color). Layer the veggies on top of this and finish off with the crunchy egg/chinese noodles. Toss just before serving.

SO SO good.

Ingredients to Avoid

I just read through this article. But I wanted to copy paste it here before it gets lost in the black hole i.e. the interwebs.
******


If you know me at all, you know that I’m an advocate for whole, unprocessed foods. However, many of us inevitably turn to packaged or processed foods when we are short on time. Maybe we grab a frozen dinner or pizza for a quick dinner for our family. Maybe we grab a quick nutrition bar to satiate our hunger until we can sit down for a real meal. Or maybe, we just don’t like to cook. Whether we like it or not, packaged and processed food has become a huge part of our food industry and, as a result, a part of many of our diets.

Although there are some brands that I hugely advocate for, there are many more that border on outright unhealthy and “scary.” Many packaged foods that seem healthy often contain fillers, preservatives and other ingredients you don’t want in your diet. It is always preferable to choose products that have only a handful of ingredients, all of which should be recognizable. One test to know whether an ingredient is healthy is to ask yourself whether your grandmother would recognize it. If not, there is a good chance the ingredient is less natural food and more man-made chemical. Another good test is whether or not you can easily pronounce the ingredient. If you feel like you need a science degree to pronounce it properly, chances are the ingredient is worth avoiding.

If you do have to resort to a processed food for a snack or dinner (anything canned, packaged, etc.), try to avoid those that contain the ingredients listed in the following chart. Although this isn’t an exhaustive list, these ingredients are some of the most highly processed and least healthy of all:

Ingredient	Why it is Used	Why it is Bad
Artificial Colors	Chemical compounds made from coal-tar derivatives to enhance color.	Linked to allergic reactions, fatigue, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity and headaches.
Artificial Flavorings	Cheap chemical mixtures that mimic natural flavors.	Linked to allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema, hyperactivity and asthma Can affect enzymes, RNA and thyroid.
Artificial Sweeteners (Acesulfame-K, Aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, Saccharin, Sweet’n Low®, Sucralose, Splenda® & Sorbitol)	Highly-processed, chemically-derived, zero-calorie sweeteners found in diet foods and diet products to reduce calories per serving.	Can negatively impact metabolism Some have been linked to cancer, dizziness hallucinations and headaches.
Benzoate Preservatives (BHT, BHA, TBHQ)	Compounds that preserve fats and prevent them from becoming rancid.	May result in hyperactivity, angiodema, asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, tumors and urticaria Can affect estrogen balance and levels.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)	Chemical that boosts flavor in many citric-based fruit and soft drinks.	Increases triglycerides and cholesterol Can damage liver, testicles, thyroid, heart and kidneys.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)	Cheap alternative to cane and beet sugar Sustains freshness in baked goods Blends easily in beverages to maintain sweetness.	May predispose the body to turn fructose into fat Increases risk for Type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer Isn’t easily metabolized by the liver.
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)	Flavor enhancer in restaurant food, salad dressing, chips, frozen entrees, soups and other foods.	May stimulate appetite and cause headaches, nausea, weakness, wheezing, edema, change in heart rate, burning sensations and difficulty in breathing.
Olestra	An indigestible fat substitute used primarily in foods that are fried and baked.	Inhibits absorption of some nutrients Linked to gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea, gas, cramps, bleeding and incontinence.
Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Palm, Soybean and others)	Industrially created fats used in more than 40,000 food products in the U.S. Cheaper than most other oils.	Contain high levels of trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, contributing to risk of heart disease.

Excerpted from "GET REAL" and STOP Dieting! Copyright 2009 - Brett Blumenthal

Potato Masala for Masala Dosa

Masala dosas are ridiculously amazing. Dosa is the indian equivalent of crepes (made out of rice). This very delicious and spicy potato and onion mixture is the filling. It is served hot with chutney and sambar. Each place has its take on the masala and this is my mom's. This is the only version *I* love, so that should be good enough for you all.

You can also serve this with Rotis/naans, or basmati rice or even make indian style paninis with it.

Ingredients:

1-2 Boiled potatoes (I used baby small yellow potatoes, red potatoes are too sweet for this dish); chop into cubes
1 small red onion or 1/2 large onion thinly sliced
1.5 tspn black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves (can omit)
1/2 tspn red chilli powder
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
2 pinches of asafoetida (can omit)
1 tspn of Channa dhal (can totally omit) [basically dried and split chickpeas without the seedcoat. TOTALLY not required)
1 tbspn of vegetable oil
1 serrano chilli sliced lengthwise or a couple of jalapenos would work too (can omit entirely)
Salt to taste


Directions

1. In a pan, add the oil and let it heat up. Add mustard seeds, Channa dal, and asafoetida. After about 30 seconds toss in the curry leaves. You should hear a lot of popping and hissing now.

2.Once the popping subsides (don't wait for everything to burn) add in the sliced onions and green chillies. Saute until translucent and cooked. After about 2 minutes of sauteing add the turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt.

3. Once the onion has cooked, add in the rough chopped boiled potatoes and mix and let it cook/heat up. after about 2 minutes your dish should be ready!

optional: garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Green Chilli and Coconut Chutney

I grew up in Tamil Nadu, India. I love my dosas, chutneys, and sambars. I've been trying to get this chutney just right and it's really hard to get the right consistency with a blender or cusinart chopper. Even now it's not perfect, but it's close enough for me to post it here! i've been experimenting and there's one ingredient in the list that will not make it 100% Indian and I will let you guess what it is in the comments section. Winner can get lunch/dinner cooked by me someday (feat. this chutney and dosas).

I did not measure since I was experimenting but here is the gist.


Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut (can get this frozen in Asian and Indian stores)
1/4-1/3 rd cup ice berg lettuce
1/4 cup-1/2 cup coconut milk
Tamarind Paste - 2 teaspoons
6 jalapeno peppers (maybe 2-3 Serranos...adjust spice accordingly. I ran out of peppers :( )


Directions

In your blender, add the coconut, green chillies, ice berg lettuce, tamarind paste and some coconut milk. Hit the liquefy button and it will take about 15-20 mins of blending to get it to a nice chutney consistency. You basically want the liquid part and coconut and ice berg all blended together so that it doesnt separate out easily.

To get this consistency, you might have to add more ice berg lettuce. trial and error, my friends!

Dhal Fry (Pigeon Pea and Tomato Curry)

Ah, it is good to be back with my yummy dhal recipe and signature crappy picture.

Still stuck with some of those pigeon peas? Here is recipe #5! A staple in any North Indian meal (I think, I really wouldn't know. :-D). It is very mildly spiced and delicious. Try it out!

Ingredients
1/2 cup pigeon pea (toor dhal) - soaked overnight in water (12-14 hours, the longer the better)
3 Tomatoes
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 of an onion, finely chopped (about 2 heaping table spoons worth)
8 cloves of garlic (you could use a few lesser, but I'm obsessed with garlic)
2 tbspn of oil
Salt to taste.
A dollop of butter or ghee (which I did not add, but now that I'm typing this, it definitely would have enhanced the dish)

Directions
1. I use a pressure cooker to cook the dhal, so I'm done cooking it in 15 minutes. Should you not have this wonderful device, you could cook it stove top until really well done. It may take you over an hour.
2. Boil the tomatoes (i just cook these along with the dhal in the same pressure cooker)
3. In a saucepan, heat up some oil on medium high and add the onions. Saute for 2 mins.
4. Add the garlic, and spice powders. Saute until oil separates (or if garlic begins to brown)
5. Add the cooked dhal and tomatoes (semi mashed in) mix well. Add just enough water to make it semi-liquidy.
6. Add salt according to your taste and let it come to a boil. Add the ghee/butter at this point as well.

Serve with naan or roti, basmati rice, and raitha.

Lime Pie

Happy Pie Day! It's 3/14, at 3:14pm, and here is your pie. That's 360 degrees of dessert with a diameter of 9 inches, for those of you mathematically-minded. Me, I just like an excuse to eat PIE.
-AnglophileinLA

Lime Pie for Pie Day!

Ingredients
• 1 Keblar Graham cracker pie crust
• 2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
• 1 cup regular lime juice
• 2 whole eggs
• Zest of 1 lime

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the condensed milk, lime juice, zest and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the pie shell. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

How to bring Lime Pie to the KICKASS PIE level



There was a New Orleans style restaurant in Santa Barbara years ago, since gone out of business, that had the best keylime pie. And they served it with a sauce on the side that was so cool and creamy next to the tart lime pie that it just brought the pie-eating experience to a whole new level. After much experimentation, I found out that it was cream cheese blended with milk and sugar. So simple, so delicious.



1 small container light cream cheese

1/4th cup milk (to start)

Sugar



I do this by taste every time – but basically, you’ll blend the cream cheese with the milk until it is of a pourable consistency. Then add sugar until you like the taste. I’m also thinking of adding a bit of lime juice to it the next time I make it, just to give it a little kick. Now, pour it over a piece of lime pie or serve it on the side with a spoon.

The Best Potato Leek Soup

With St. Patty’s day coming up, I’ve been in an Irish kind of mood. To completely stereotype, that means potatoes. So I got a bag of red, white and purple potatoes at Trader Joe’s, figuring I’d find a use for them, and the leeks at Ralphs completed the vision. But which recipe? Emeril and I have had our differences in the past – I think his recipes, if followed to the letter, tend to be too heavy on butter and cream, and a bit bland (sorry Emeril!). But then I saw his recipe for Potato Leek Soup, and I found a lot of things I like: white wine, bacon, fresh thyme. And found things I didn’t like: a lot of butter and cream. Which I removed. And here is the result.

Think of a great baked potato – what do you put on there? Sour cream, bacon bits, chives? A bit of salt and pepper? Now take that baked potato stacked with everything good on it, and blend the hell out of it. That’s kind of what this soup is, and it is just ridiculously good. Like, 4-Star restaurant quality good. My boyfriend went back for seconds (this never happens), and he doesn’t even like creamy soups. Granted, I didn’t tell him that his hated sour cream was in there…

Ingredients

• 1 large leek

• 2 bay leaves

• Twists of black and white pepper to taste (the combo really adds to the flavor, so I used a lot)

• 8 sprigs fresh thyme, de-leafed or chopped fine

• 2 strips bacon, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 1 pound potatoes, chopped into quarters (if small potatoes like red or white, don’t bother peeling)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 Tb light sour cream (or one very heaping spoonful)

Directions

Chop the potatoes into quarters and microwave for 6 minutes until you can easily punch them through with a fork. Set aside.

Chop the 2 pieces of bacon into small pieces and start cooking them in an ungreased non-stick pot. The bacon has its own grease, it doesn’t need any more.

Chop the leek, or leeks if small, finely in quarters, going all the way from the white tip to where they just start to turn green. Discard the long green leafy parts. NOW, rinse the chopped leeks in a colander. Dirt gets trapped in between the leafs and will not wash out if you rinse the leek before you chop.

Add the leaks to the pot when the bacon has already browned. Add the bay leaves, thyme, white and black pepper, and garlic. Cook around 5 minutes.

Now add the wine, stir a bit, and add the potatoes and 3 cups chicken stock. Let simmer for anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes – if you need more time to set the table or get sides ready, go ahead and let it simmer away.

Use a potato masher to mush the potatoes. Add the 2 Tb, or giant heaping spoonful (to taste, can you tell?) of the light sour cream. Mix.

Now, TASTE. Too salty? Not salty enough? Does it need more white pepper? (yes, imo) When I was tasting, it needed more salt – after I added salt, it was too salty, so I added water. The point is, keep tasting until you get it right. The rest of cooking is just a shopping list.

If you have an immersion blender, it’s time to whip it out and whip it good. You can just blend everything in the pot (be sure all the action is below the surface of the liquid). If you have a regular blender – I wish you luck. The last time I tried to blend soup in a blender, I ended up wearing scalding hot crème of watercress. User error yes, but I still have never forgiven that soup.

To be fancy, you can put a little dollop of sour cream on top of the finished bowl of soup. But, it smelled so good that I didn’t want to spend the time trying to be fancy myself. Hence the hastily taken picture.

Orange Chicken

I am still on a mission to use all of the oranges I brought home in a big Hefty trash bag last week. So last night, it was Orange Chicken, a dish I have only ever tried at Chinese restaurants. I don’t own a deep-fryer, so I just rolled the chicken in flour and put it in the oven. Yes, crispy chicken would be better, but this recipe is still unbelievably delicious and lower fat (I lost a ½ pound on it!).
-AnglophileinLA
Orange Chicken

For Sauce, combine the following:
Juice of 2 oranges, then fill the measuring cup to 1 ½ C with water
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp Soy sauce
Zest of 1 orange
¾ C brown sugar (add to taste, could be up to 1 C brown sugar)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 inch chopped ginger root (extra root freezes well)
½ a small onion chopped fine, or green onions
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tb Flour mixture from chicken (to follow)
For the chicken, you will need:
A casserole dish large enough for the chicken
6 drumsticks (or bite sized pieces of chicken breast, whatever you have)
½ C Flour
1 tsp salt
A few twists of pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
Sesame oil

Directions for Chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in a small bowl.
3. Oil the bottom of the casserole dish with sesame oil (olive oil will also work, but sesame oil adds a nutty undertone to the dish).
4. Take a piece of chicken and dip both sides in the sesame oil in the casserole dish, then roll it in the flour mixture until completely coated. Return to the casserole dish and repeat with the rest of the chicken. You should have some flour left over which will be used to thicken the sauce.
5. Put chicken in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then flip the chicken pieces and cook for another 30 minutes or until browned.

Directions for Sauce:
1. Cook the garlic, onion and ginger first, keep in pan.
2. Combine all the other ingredients and whisk in 2 Tb of the chicken flour mixture into the liquid before adding it into the pan.
3. Cook down until the chicken is done.
Meanwhile – make your rice (10 min rice is good), and stirfry some chopped carrots and Asian-style peas in soy sauce if you want. They’re great for presentation, and vegetables are always good.

Spread the rice out in a large serving dish, cover with the stir-fried veggies, and place the chicken pieces on top. Pour most of the orange sauce over everything, saving some to be served on the side (believe me, you will want every drop).

Orange Curd Tartlets

One more recipe that uses Oranges - and I still have more oranges on my counter to go through. Oh boy. And, I'm out of eggs. Anyways, this is an elegant dessert worthy of fancy dinner parties and afternoon tea. Make it one day ahead, or at least a few hours ahead of time, since it needs time to cool and set.
-AnglophileinLA

Ingredients for the curd:
½ cup fresh squeezed and strained orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
½ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cube (¼ pound) unsalted butter, cut into 6 chunks

The process:
Start water boiling in a small pot - you'll be cooking the curd in a metal bowl resting on top of it.
Combine juice, zest and sugar in the lightweight metal bowl. Whisk in the eggs and stir constantly over medium heat. Keep the whisk moving slowly so the eggs have no chance to scramble.

Add one chunk of butter and keep whisking. When the chunk starts to look a little raggedy, add another chunk. Keep adding another chunk as each previous one starts to move through the raggedy stage to the melting stage. Keep the whisk moving slowly all the while. When all chunks of butter have melted, whisk for about 5 minutes more, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not overcook.

Remove from the heat and immediately strain the curd into the tartlet shells. STRAINING IS IMPORTANT. Then, immediately cover with plastic wrap so a skin doesn't develop on the surface of the curd. Let chill overnight if possible.

Chocolate Coated Tartlet Shells

I used the roll-out Pillsbury pie crusts that come 2-in a box. 1 pie crust made 3 tartlets by just laying them over the creme-brulee ramekins and cutting around the edges. Then I just pressed the crusts into the ramekins, poked fork holes in, and pre-baked according to the directions on the box.

Meanwhile, using the same doulbe-boiler technique as the curd, heat a half cup of chocolate morsels with a spoonful of butter in a metal bowl resting on top of a pot of boiling water. Stir constantly, and when it's gooey, take a culinary brush (mine is silicone, works really well), and paint the insides of the baked tart shells with chocolate. Let harden and cool before you pour in the curd.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Another use for a mountain of oranges is dessert. And Cranberry Orange Shortbread cookies are one of my favorites, especially for tea time.
-AnglophileLV

Ingredients
•1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped fine
•1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•10 tablespoons softened butter
•1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
•finely grated zest of 1 orange
Optional: finely chopped almond slivers (for a Morroccan touch), or Chai Masala (for an indian touch)
 
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix everything together and roll the thick dough out until it is 1/4th of an inch thick. These cookies do not rise, so you have to flatten it out to cookie-thickness. Then cut out your cookies with a cookie cutter, or the lid of a jar of yeast (that's what I did), and lay them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
 
Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottoms.
 
Makes a little under 2-dozen.
 
Now - for extra flair - I spread melted Ghiradelli chocolate on half of each cookie. You can't go wrong with dark chocolate and orange. Yum.

No Knead Orange Bread

After the initial success of my No Knead Wine Flour Bread, I made it again. And again. Then I got a trashbag full of oranges from my grandfather's yard and had to get creative before they rotted. Thus was born: No Knead Orange Bread. To my knowledge, I am the only person to apply orange flavor to yeasted bread (quickbreads have been done).

-AnglophileinLA

Ingredients for 1 loaf:

3 3/4 cup bread flour (King Arthur is the best!)

2 Tb wheat gluten

1 packet yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1/2 Tb sea salt

1 1/4 C. Orange juice

1/4 C honey

1/2 cup eggs, well blended

1/3 cup butter, melted

zest of 1 orange

slivered almonds and sugar to top bread

Now for the fun part: throw all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Then throw all the wet ingredients into the bowl and mix them. It's going to be really really goopy. No Knead bread making is a messy process, the dough is wet but yields such a delicious moist and spongy bread. Let rise in the bowl for 2 hours, and then I like to keep it in the fridge overnight so the flavors can develop.

After the dough has risen, pick up the goopy mass and stretch it into an oblong ball, so it fits in the breadpan. This will take some of the air out, but don't worry. Sprinkle the top with sugar and slivered almonds, and then let it rest another 90 minutes. It will rise again.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and when it's hot, put the bread in with an oven-proof dish of water to keep the oven environment humid. The bread should be close to done in 60 minutes, though I like to use a meat thermometer to check. The internal tempreture should be between 190 and 200 degrees when the bread is done.

Remove the bread from the breadpan 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven to a cooling rack. I've found that the bread is so moist that it will develop a soggy bottom if its allowed to sit in its pan too long.

Also, here is the recipe for 1 loaf of the Wine Bread, if 3 loaves is an intimidating prospect - follow the same directions as above.

Ingredients for 1 loaf of Wine Bread

3 1/2 C flour

1/4th C wine flour

2 Tb wheat gluten

1/2 Tb sea salt

1 1/4 C warm water
1 packet yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1/4 C honey

1/2 cup large eggs, mixed (5 eggs = roughly 1 cup)

1/3 C butter, melted

I used sunflower seeds to top my last loaf, but any crunchy nut would be good.

No Knead Wine Flour Bread

The new Blogger format is a nightmare - can you tell? I couldn't move these pictures into any kind of logical formation. So there they are, in a jumble.

My friend at A Girl, A Market, A Meal put a No Knead bread recipe up on Facebook the other day, and I just had to try it. Although I enjoy kneading bread - it's great exercise - I haven't been able to produce the kind of loaf you would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with. Her recipe seemed like it would produce a loaf more like store-bought bread. I've also been dying to try out my new Cabernet Wine Flour from Blackmarket Bakery. It's flour made from red grape skins leftover from the wine making process and is very rich in resveratrol. It's also purple, which is awsome. So, I put the recipe together with the wine flour and came up with this vaguely purple and absolutely delicious bread.

Important note on the wine flour - I was advised that when using the wine flour, only use it to replace 10-15% of the flour in the recipe, so a little goes a long way. I can't do math worth a damn, so all I can report is that my guess of 1/2 cup for this recipe worked.

No Knead Bread, slightly altered from the fantastic recipe on A Girl, A Market, A Meal.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 55-60 minutes, plus rising time
Yield: 3 loaves
Ingredients:
7 cups King Arthur Bread Flour
1/2 cups wine flour
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten (available at health food stores and online)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
5 large eggs
2/3 cup melted butter

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl of a stand mixer or food processor (14-cup capacity), or your 1 gallon storage container, mix together the flours, yeast, salt and wheat gluten. In another smaller bowl, whisk together the water, honey, eggs and preferred fat. Using the dough attachment, or your hands, mix the wet ingredients with the dry until thoroughly combined. It will be very sticky. Do not knead.

2. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours. After this, the dough is ready to be formed and placed in a loaf pan, but it is easier to do this if you refrigerate it first for a couple of hours. The flavor improves after 24 hours, so make it the evening before, if you have time.

3. On baking day, lightly grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2). Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and grab a large hunk in your hand, cutting it off at the bottom. It should be about the size of a cantaloupe. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Cover the rest of the dough loosely and return to the refrigerator.

4. Form the ball into a thick log shape and place it in the prepared loaf pan. It should be just over half full. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for 90 minutes in a warm place (40 minutes if the dough you are using is already room temperature).

5. Thirty minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the loaf in the center of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown. Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Dark Chocolate Cabernet Cupcakes

 

This recipe required a lot of experimentation and tasting at every stage. It was too sweet at first, so I added more wine flour, more cabernet and regular cocoa powder until the batter was rich and dark. Then I added a handful of mini-morsels just to be sure. The Cabernet wine flour and cocoa powder are the coolest things ever – they are non-alcoholic, but pack all the health benefits of red wine into whatever you’re baking. They also make great gifts and can be found here: http://www.marchenoirfoods.com/
--AnglophileinLa

Dark Chocolate Cabernet Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen

* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I mixed in a few Tb of the Cabernet cocoa powder)
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I mixed in 1/2 cup wine flour with the regular flour)
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 cup warm water
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* ½ cup semi-sweet mini morsels

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, then the semi-sweet mini morsels; mix batter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about one-third full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Chocoholic Frosting

1/3 cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate, mini-morsels (Nestles)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 Tsp Cabernet Cocoa Powder
4 Tb brandy
5 tablespoons milk (or 3 Tb buttermilk, and 2 Tb regular)

Directions
In small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in mini-morsels until melted.
Add salt and vanilla.
Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar and milk until creamy and fluffy. The longer you beat it, the creamier it gets. Then put in the Cabernet cocoa powder and brandy to taste.
Makes enough to fill and frost 2 layers of cake (about 2 1/4 cups of frosting).

Blueberry Blitz Cake

Blueberry Blitz Cake

Serves 6

I found a raspberry buttermilk cake recipe in an old Bon Appetit, but as usual, I didn't have the ingredients to make anything out of that silly magazine. So, I went with what I had: Buttermilk, a lemon, and a cup of blueberries. It turned out terrific. Perfect for coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and dessert in the evening. --AnglophileinLA

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ stick unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 Tb sugar divided

¾ tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

Zest from 1 lemon

½ cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 cup frozen blueberries (or any berry, raspberry works well too)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the middle.

2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and lemon zest, then add the egg and beat well.

5. Mix in flour, alternating with buttermilk, mixing until just combined.

6. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing the top.

7. Scatter the cup of blueberries evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the 1 Tb sugar.

8. Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

I would be tempted to do a Moroccan spin on this with cinnamon, cardamom, orange rind and orange flower water instead of the lemon zest and blueberries. The buttermilk cake base is so versatile.